Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-27
FOOD FOR REFLECTION.
The Evanescence OF Political Pow -
er and Popularity Demonstrated.

r, ON he Nelo York World.
On the fftieth anniversary OF his birth,
President Cleveland found himself occu-
pying the most prominent position in
public life in the United States. He is
the observed Of all observers, and there
is no other In the land whe is so deferred
to. His reflections on arriving at the
present important milestone in his life
must be of an agreeable nature, and IL
Will be strange il he can avoid speculat-
ing on what the future may have in store
for him. "Why should the spirit of NOR
tai be proudp' was the favOrlte poetic
query OF his immortal edecessOr, Lin
coin, whose life was cut of at the sum
nit OF its career, and echo answers,
"WhyY' How many are there still liV-
ing who have been prominently in ahe
foreground, and are now scarcely heard
of
But few years ago the whole nation
waited to see the direction of the pen
stroke of Rutherford B, Hayes. Then he
sat in the White House. Now he pre-
sides over a chicken farm somewhere in
Northern Ohio. and there Is little more
than a CLEAN of recognition in the mind
of the reader when his name appears in a
newspaper, which is not often. The fact
that he is the only ex-President alive
does not save him from almost complete
oblivion.
1t is not long since Secretary RobesOn
was prominent individual and dispen-
ser OF influence and public dollars. But
it is Ii red-letter day for him when his
name is published as a guest at some big
banquet.
George S. Boutwell,, for many years an
influential mem Der of the House of Repre-
sentatives, Secretary of the Treasury
and a leading man in the nation generally
during Grants administration, Is now
quietly praclicing law.
7. W. Ferry, Senator from Michigan,
once Acting Vice President OF the United
States, is operating saw mills.
N. =. Banks, elected Speaker Of the
House OF Representatives in the most
memorable election ever held IN that
body, prominent Republican candidate
for President in 1860, Major General in
the war, Governor of Massachusetts, is
now a local United States Marshal
Carl SchurZ, Secretary Of the Interior
under Hayes, Senator and Major General,
is now retired and rarely mentioned
citizen.
Hamilton Fish, Governor and Secretary
OF state, has entirely passed from the Do-
litioal stage.
BENJAMIN II. Bristow, Secretary Of the
date for the Presidency, is unostenta-
ticusly practiciDg law.
Roscoe Conkling, than whom the Senate
once possessed no more distinguished
member, is accumulatIng fortune at the
bar.
Edwards Pierrepont. Attorney General,
Minister TO England, is now lawyer III
private practice.
Benjamin II. Brewster, Attorney Gene
raj, is similarly employed.
Alphonso Taft, Attorney General, Sec
retary of War, has retired generally from
public notice.
Hugh McCullOch, the distinguished
secretary Of the Treasury OF the johnson
period, is engaged in private business.
Samuel j. kirkwOOd, Senator, Secre-
tary Of the Interior. has passed out OF the
public mind.
Elihu b. Washburne. Representative,
Watchdog of the Treasury" secretary
of State, Minister to France, proposed
Republican candidate for President, is
willing away the time writing magazine
articles.
Richard w. Thompson, Congressman,
Secretary of the Navy, is now an Ameri-
can fgurehead Tor De Lesseps-
Attorney General Williams has dropped
wholly beneath the surface.
W. w. Beknap, Secretary of War, has
similarly disappeared.
Gen. Il. G. Schenck, Congressman,
Major General, Minister TO England, leads
a quiet and retired existence.
J. A. j. Creswell, Postmaster General,
Congressman. is now rarely neard OF.
William Window, Senator, secretary OF
the Treasury, has passed out OF public
notice.
William e. Chandler, Congressman,
Secretary of the Navy, and acJive politi-
no a al a at
life.
William A. Wheeler, Congressman,
Vice President, Is living in retirement.
Hannibal Hamlin, Representative, Sem
ator, Governor, Vice President under
Lincoln, is out of public life.
James NJ. Ashley, Congressman and
prominent Abolition Republican, has been
a long time out Of Office.
John b. Henderson, Senator, 10 praotic-
ing law in st. Louis.
Senators Ross and Pomeroy, Of Kansas,
are equally removed from the public gaze.
Columbus Delano, Secretary OF the In
terror, has been private citizen for years.
j. Warren Keller, Speaker of the House
Of Representatives, has been wholly re-
tired, and is not now even considered
eligible for the delivery OF memorial |,
address.
Ignatius Donnelly, Senators Thurman
anu McDOuhIuJ bONs huA iuAly
others will occur, upon calling upon the
memory, as instances Of meR now living
who nave withdrawn from public life.
Still another retired statesman, who
need not be commented on, is Jefferson
Davis.
Perhaps the only exception to the lIst
OF retired public men, ia the matter OF
power and influence, Is Simon Cameron.
lie appears to manage things from his
private residence about as well as he did
from the Senate or the War Department.
Thus do power and position, like riches,
have wings. Some OF these retirements
represent honorable defeat, some volun-
tary decisions. some wrecked ambition
merely, and some are rebukes for corrup-
tlon. But they all serve TO show the un-
certainty OF political careers and the
readiness with which men are forgotten
in this fast-moving country,
A Peculiar Young Man.